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Old Stone Keep
Old Stone Keep was a ruined keep and city found in the Utter East in southeast Faerûn. Geography Old Stone Keep stood atop the high mountains east of Doegan. It was accessible through the Serpent Valley to the north. Description Old Stone Keep was at one time a mighty city, housing an ancient keep. However, at some point, the city fell into ruins. It was stripped of its wealth and resources and was by-and-large forgotten. The keep itself was a stone-built fortification in the west. Spreading out to the west was a city full of gray buildings with flat tops or jade-hued roof tiles, with walls adorned with blue geometric designs. Rings of defensive walls stretched through the city, bearing similar designs. The cobbled roads were choked with weeds. North of the city were swamps and marshes crossed by wooden walkways, bordered by river. On the side lay firmer land, leading up to green hills and stony outcrops. Inhabitants In addition to the occasional human or undead occupiers, medusae (locally called "gorgons") lurked in the ruins.Game artwork and terminology do not closely match typical D&D monsters. The Gorgon unit is much more like the medusa, not the gorgon, of D&D. This medusa has snake-hair, a serpentine body in place of legs, and a venomous bite that turns a creature to stone. Thus the medusa is assumed here. Reputation Old Stone Keep was rumored to contain secrets of arcane magic. It was part of a legacy of great mages, which had been inherited by Aelric, a mage of Doegan.The wolf and bat imagery of Aelric and Old Stone Keep and the focus on using undead, Crypt-created units, suggests that this magical legacy is one of necromancy or vampirism. History In ancient times, Old Stone Keep was a great city, before it fell into ruins. During the time of the Bloodforge Wars (648–657 DR), The events of Blood & Magic are only dated to "before the Time of Troubles" (1358 DR) in game. It is assumed these are a part of the Bloodforge Wars described in Faces of Deception and dated in The Grand History of the Realms. invaders led by Rathgar the Raider seized control of the kingdom of Doegan. However, with his dying breath, the defiant king cursed him, declaring "For so long as you rule, a curse upon you. The dead will arise, to ensure your demise." Escaping the invaders, the princess of Doegan looked for a way to make her father's prophecy come true. She went to Old Stone Keep and there met Aelric and enlisted his aid. The Howl of Vengeance conflict was fought between the two factions using bloodforges, with fighting taking place at Old Stone Keep, with Aelric preferring undead forces. Afterward, Old Stone Keep was deserted, its streets empty, until a mob of looters and scavengers led by one Ebon Lefash moved in. The commander of the Legendary Campaign, which sought to unify the wartorn Utter East through conquest, seeking to take back something they believed to be rightfully theirs, came to the ruins to defeat Lefash in a bloodforge battle. Later, Shandra Mystahr marched at the head of a bloodforged troop to Old Stone Keep, determined to uncover its magical secrets. However, Mystahr's rival, the commander of the Legendary Campaign, set an ambush here. However, Turik Dumark attempted the same, to ambush the Legendary Campaign forces on the road by Old Stone Keep. However, one of Dumark's scouts was captured, and the trap was revealed. The commander quickly tried to hunt down out Dumark. Appendix Notes Appearances ;Games: * Blood & Magic References Gallery File:Blood & Magic game map.jpg|Old Stone Keep in the Utter East in the Blood & Magic game. Category:Cities Category:Settlements Category:Locations in Doegan Category:Locations in the Utter East Category:Locations in Southeast Faerûn Category:Locations in Faerûn Category:Locations on Toril Category:Locations